David spent ten years in the Navy, two tours of active duty and the rest in the Reserves. His experiences give him an instant kinship with other service men and women. It’s amazing how many hours can be spent sharing stories and memories. They complain about the rigors of basic training while congratulating themselves on having survived it. They talk about who was where during which campaign and how close they were to each other, and they brag about who got in the most trouble while on leave. Sometimes they even talk about their combat experiences. But there are some parts of the stories they don’t share.

David’s first tour was spent as a corpsman on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), and he loved it. He loved being at sea and seeing exotic ports. He loved presiding over sick bay, learning to discern between the slackers and those who were really…

Chris' Master Degree Thesis Spiral of Silence: Caregiving, Stress and its Impact in the Workplace was accepted by the faculty at Gonzaga University in May of 2016 earning an MA Degree in Communication and Leadership. Email me at chris@thepurplejacket.com for information on the financial impact of caregiving. Proud to be an Alumni of Gonzaga University 2016

Become A Senior Home Safety Specialist: Enter the code "bowtieguy" and save $20.00 off the price of the course!

Learn How To Become A Certified Dementia Communication Specialist with Silver Dawn Training. Tell Cathy and Tami that "The Bow Tie Guy" sent you!

The Whole Care Network Recommends Care Match America. Click on the logo to learn how CareMatch American can find the perfect senior living MATCH for you and your family!

Hope Loves Company (HLC) is the only non-profit in the U.S. with the mission of providing educational and emotional support to children and young adults who had or have a loved one battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease. Many of these children become caregivers to their parents. Please visit Hope Loves Company's website to learn more about this wonderful program!

Mr. Happy Key, Keeping Us Safe One Driver at a time. Click on the link and learn how to contact Keeping Us Safe specialist in your area.

The Whole Care Network Proudly Recommends KalendarKards. Use the code BowTieGuy for 10% off your purchase of KalendarKards!

"What's The Deal With Caregiving?" is available on Amazon. Click above to see the reviews of the book and to purchase a copy of your own

Culture Change In A Box is our new show on the Whole Care Network featuring cost host Judy Ryan from LifeWork Systems and Chris MacLellan from the Whole Care Network.

As a certified accessible travel advocate, I can book all your travel plans! Ask me how you can have anything from oxygen to a hoyer lift delivered to your cruise ship stateroom or hotel around the world! For more information email me at chris@tlocruisesandtours.com

Our Three Part Caregiving Story…

Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2015, Our Caregiving Story "In Sickness and In Health: A Couple's Final Journey" written by Diane Lade and photgraphed by Carline Jean from The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Click on the photo to be taken to the original story. Photo Credit Carline Jean/Sun-Sentinel

Story 2: "Life After Death: Couple's Story Sparks Change." Click on the photo to be taken to the second story. Photo Credit Carline Jean Sun-Sentinel

Story #3 "Saying Goodbye" Click on the photo to be taken to our final story. Photo Credit Carline Jean/Sun-Sentinel

Affectionately known as “The Bow Tie Guy” in many caregiving circles, the story of Chris MacLellan and his partner, Richard Schiffer was chronicled in a 2015 Pulitzer Prize nominated story “In Sickness and In Health: A Couple’s Final Journey” about their journey of caregiving. The story told of the challenges that LGBT partners have in dealing with the medical and legal system, but it also told of the love and joy that Richard’s last years had on their relationship. Out of this experience Chris has written a powerful and compelling book “What’s The Deal With Caregiving” that informs caregivers on how to deal with the challenges that they will encounter, regardless of sexual orientation, family situation or age. Chris’ soothing style is conveyed through his caregiving blog, The Purple Jacket and podcast entitled Healing Ties where he connects with caregivers and industry experts around the globe through story sharing while providing timely tips for family caregivers. Chris’ Master's Degree thesis entitled, “Spiral of Silence: Caregiving, Stress and its Impact in the Workplace” was accepted by the faculty at Gonzaga University, where Chris earned a Master’s degree in Leadership and Communication. Chris is the founder of The Whole Care Network and presents regularly on topics that impact family caregivers.